


Bass Line Blues Stranger

by icantwrite



Category: Cowboy Bebop (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Women, Bad Jokes, Bounty Hunters, Canon-Typical Violence, Death, Depression, Doctor/Patient, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Girls with Guns, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Light Angst, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychology, Reader-Insert, References to Depression, Romance, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2021-01-25 18:01:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,070
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/icantwrite/pseuds/icantwrite
Summary: You work as a doctor and part time bounty hunter. You don't have a very interesting life despite having two exciting jobs. In fact, you had taken some money out of the bank and planned to leave your planet behind. But an injured man falls into your life and you finally have a sense of adventure and friends.
Relationships: Ed & Ein (Cowboy Bebop), Jet Black & Faye Valentine, Spike Spiegel/Reader
Comments: 13
Kudos: 51





	1. The Day He Fell For You

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I love Spike and there aren't enough reader inserts with him, so I decided to indulge myself. I hope people love reading this as much as I love writing it. Comments are welcomed, I'll answer any questions you may have to the best of my ability!

To say you had a normal life would be a lie. You were a part time bounty hunter, part time clinician. Being either of those things by themselves was a doozy, but being both made for some of the most interesting interactions. But watching a man fall from the window of a church with an explosion going off behind him had been one of the more confusing things you had seen. If not for the fact you were close to where he'd land, that man would have probably suffered from several broken bones and a cracked skull.

Saving the guy wasn't as graceful as it seemed in your head. No, after you had dropped your bag and ran closer to where he would land, the guy's body fell on top of you and sent you to the ground. Your arm went out in front of you instinctively to break your fall. You knew as soon as you hit the ground something broke. Wheezing as you tried to get the guy off your back, you felt pain shoot up the arm you had landed on. It had definitely broke, but you'd deal with it once you made sure the guy on top of you wasn't dead. 

You managed to turn so you were sitting, the mystery man beside you. He had blood seeping through his shirt, most likely from taking a bullet. You sucked a breath in between your teeth, using your good hand to apply pressure to the wound. You managed to get your broken hand to his neck, checking to see if he was alive. Thankfully, he was, even if the beating of his heart was faint. He'd make it, you just needed to figure out where your bag had landed during the commotion of having a man fall on top of you.

"Okay, Mister. You better stay alive, I broke my arm to make sure you didn't die. It's only fair you live, y'know?" You glanced to the man's face before moving your hand off the wound so you could get your bag. You never went anywhere without your bag, it had medical supplies for almost every possible injury. You never knew when a fight would break out or when you need to keep someone alive to get the reward for the bounty put on them. It was better to be prepared.

"Alright, Mister. You aren't gonna die on my watch, so just hang tight." You smiled at the guy- you decided to dub him Guy -before taking a first aid kit out of your bag. You pulled out some scissors, cutting the part of his shirt that surrounded the wound. Your hand hurt like hell, but you were going to keep your "no patient dead" streak. You could hear someone rushing near you, but you had a patient to take care of now. Keeping hands steady, you used the scissors to remove the bullet. It wasn’t an ideal way to remove it, but it would work. “Alright, Guy. You’re gonna be fine. You’re lucky I’m such a good pillow, huh? You didn’t lose too much blood, at least…” You stopped talking to the unconscious man and grabbed a needle, alcohol swabs, and a numbing agent. “You are so lucky I have some of those dissolving stitches on me.”

You started to stitch Guy up, ignoring the sound of a gun being cocked. You didn’t even stop bandaging Guy as you felt said gun being pressed to your back. If you were going to die, you were going to do it having at least taken care of someone. It wasn’t like you had any reason to object to dying, either. But you had a job to do first.

“Get away from him or I’ll kill you.” The person with the gun to your back commanded you. Their voice as strained and a bit shaky. Guy must have been close to them.

“Can you hold off on shooting me for just a sec? I gotta make sure his bandages will stay, then you can shoot, sound fair?” You sighed. Guy would be getting free treatment, it seemed. “Alright, done. You know him? I could use some help getting him to a place he can get some rest, wanna keep my record clean of any dead people, ya’know?”

You grabbed your bag, slinging it over your shoulder as you grabbed the arm of Guy. The person who had the gun to your back shuffled back. They weren’t very good at keeping their threats. Hefting Guy’s arm over your shoulder, you turned to look at your could-be murderer.

“Would you mind helping me out? Come on, Miss, chin up. He’s alive, you don’t need to cry just yet, yeah?” You managed a smile. The woman in front of you finally seemed to realize you weren’t going to kill Guy and went to the other side of him. You let her guide you as you walked Guy.

“Why’d you patch him up? He doesn’t have any money.” The woman finally spoke up after we had walked a few blocks.

“As a doctor, I can’t leave some man to die. And as a bounty hunter, some man lying half-dead may have a pretty penny resting on his head. Either way, I couldn’t leave him to die. Are you a friend of his?” You glanced to the woman. Despite seeming a bit distressed, she managed a chuckle.

“It’s complicated. The name’s Faye Valentine, by the way. I think Spike might blow a fuse when he wakes up and sees another woman joined our gang.”

“Huh?”

“Well, having a doctor around could really help out. I think Jet’ll be happy that he won’t have to patch Spike up after a bounty. Plus, having another woman around would be great. And I gotta good feeling about you.” Miss Valentine turned toward the direction of a starship. The port of it was open, a man pacing at the entrance. You took more of Guy’s weight onto your shoulder. Your broken hand had gone from a sharp pain to a dull ache. You suspected it might have been a fracture instead of a break. You thanked whatever God there was that it wasn’t broken. “Never got your name by the way.”

“Oh. It’s y/n. I-”

“Faye, is that Spike?!” The man at the entrance yelled at Miss Valentine, whom of which nodded. The man came over right away, looking at you with something akin to disgust. “And just who might you be?”

Miss Valentine spoke up before you could. “This is y/n, and she’s our new doctor. Y/n, this is Jet. Now hurry up and get Spike inside, would ya?"

Guy (or Spike, as he seemed to be called) was lifted by the man who seemed to be called Jet. You followed Mister Jet, looking around you. It was spacious, a table and two couches in what looked to serve as a living room. It was far from quaint and even farther from luxurious. But it seemed livable, despite needing to be cleaned and disinfected. "Can you set him down and back away, please?"

Mister Jet looked at you as if he were surprised you could talk. He looked like he was about to say something snarky, but he simply nodded and set Mister Spike down. You went over to him and got on your knees. You grabbed a small flashlight from your bag and forced one of his eyes open. His eye was a copper brown, the pupil constricting. He wasn't brain dead, so that was good. You decided to check his other eye, just to make it even.

"Huh." You got closer to Mister Spike's face. His other eye was an odd color, almost red. The pupil hadn't constricted right away when the light had shown on it, which was odd. You stared at his eye a bit longer. He didn't have heterochromia, Martians never had the genetics to cause it. And he didn't seem to suffer from eye injury. Perhaps he had a procedure done to his eye. It wasn't uncommon to come across people who had been experimented on, so the possibility that he had been one of those people wasn't impossible. You would have to ask him about it when he was done resting.

"Soooo, Jet. Can y/n stay with us?" Miss Valentine spoke up. You turned your light off and slid it into your bag. You pulled out some elastic bandage and metal clips, starting to take care of your fractured wrist. As you wrapped your hand, you could hear Mister Jet sighed in exasperation.

“Faye, we got enough mouths to feed. You don’t exactly help with how much you bring in. You seem to forget we. Are. Broke. Bringing more people on can-”

“I can pay for rent and utilities while I stay, if you really need a doctor.” You stood up, slipping the bandages into your bag once more. Miss Valentine stared at you, her arms crossed over her chest. Mister Jet stood with his hands in his pockets, showing you had his attention. “I don’t mind paying for a place to live. If staying with you guys means more opportunities to catch a bounty, I’m all for it. I have about nine thousand woolongs on me, would that be enough to start out? I can go higher over time if need be.”

No one said anything for a moment. Mister Jet finally spoke up, a smile on his face, “Maybe we could replace Faye with you. Nine hundred for rent is fine, but we’ll have to find a room for you. And you said something about bounty? Real big coincidence you ended up here.”

“Why’s that?” You tilted your head.

“All of us are bounty hunters.”

  
  
  


* * *

  
  


Miss Valentine let you borrow some of her clothes. She didn’t have very much that was your style, but you were happy with it nonetheless. She had lent you a pair of navy blue shorts and a red shirt that were both a bit short in your opinion. The shirt buttoned up, so you were thankful for that, at least. “Why are all your clothes so…. Revealing?”

“Good looks are the best way to distract a man while you cheat him during poker.” Miss Valentine glanced up at you after you finished changing. She was easy to get along with, surprisingly. She looked like she would explode when you asked her if you could borrow something to wear. You hadn’t minded letting her give you fashion tips or trying to get you to wear a matching latex set. She was having fun after what must have been a stressful day, so you let her indulge.

“Really? I haven’t worn something this revealing in forever. Reminds me of the stuff they used to wear like, sixty years ago.” You looked around the room. There wasn’t much, nothing really grounding Miss Valentine to her environment. Not that you could tell, at least.

“What can I say? I’m an old-timer." Miss Valentine had a tight smile on her face. You sighed, sitting next to her and prayed you wouldn’t make things awkward.

“Miss Valentine, as a doctor, I worry about others’ mental health and their state of mind. If you ever need to talk, I’m more than willing to listen. You don’t have to talk right now, since you and I barely know each other, it could make you uncomfortable. But when and if you do need to talk, let me know. I’m your doctor now, just remember that. Alright?” You smiled to her, hoping you didn’t sound invasive. You wanted her to be comfortable with talking to you, it was your duty as a health specialist to make sure people were healthy physically, internally, and mentally.

“So you’re my shrink now?” Miss Valentine looked at you, her face showing all kinds of doubt.

“Only if you feel comfortable enough with it, then yes. If not, I’ll stick to patching up wounds and whatnot.”

She went silent. You didn’t push her for an answer, you understood she needed time to think. After all, you knew kindness could be an underlying threat. It was hard to believe someone wanted to help you because they wanted to nowadays. It was rare, unlike how it had once been. People would help others without asking for payment, things like that used to happen all the time. But since Earth wasn’t the only place for criminals to hide out now, crime rates jumped at an alarming rate. People would create and distribute drugs, kill their rivals, scam people with lower income, and they could get away with it so easily. So kindness from strangers had been more uncommon due to it.

“So I don’t gotta talk to you if I don’t want to?” Miss Valentine looked at you. Behind her tough attitude she seemed to have with Mister Jet, she looked so fragile. It was a cliche thing to think, but it was the best way to describe it.

“Nope. If you don’t wanna talk, that’s fine.”

Miss Valentine nodded slowly. “Alright… I think I’d like to talk with you sometime. But not now, you look like an absolute wreck. You should go sleep, y/n. We’re stopping on Mars tomorrow, so you’ll need some shut eye. And call me Faye, you make me sound like a boring housewife."

You nodded, leaving Miss Faye by herself as you walked out. You probably did look horrible, you hadn’t slept in almost two days. Sighing, you walked out to where Mister Spike was. He hadn’t woken up yet, but that was to be expected. You moved his feet and sat down. Ein was occupying the other couch, and you had no idea if he had even been washed at all. So you played it safe and sat next to Mister Spike’s feet.

You let out a sigh, closing your eyes as you hummed to yourself. It was odd to think that your life had been completely changed just because you happened to be in the right place at the right time. If it wasn’t for Mister Spike almost dying, you probably would be downtown in some shabby motel while waiting for a bounty to show up near you. But Mister Spike hadn’t died, and here you were.

_ “I’m glad Mister Jet had gone back and killed the man who had done this. I’m sure that he just saved a lot of trouble in the future,”_ You thought to yourself. You opened your eyes, looking to Mister Spike. His face as dirtied and a bit scratched up, but he looked handsome despite it. He was fairly attractive, if you were being honest. Looking at him without having to evaluate his problems made you realize you might have found Mister Spike perhaps just a little attractive._ “Wonderful. I totally needed to deal with something like this now.”_

You sighed before closing your eyes and resuming your humming. You drifted off after what seemed like an hour, oblivious to the fact Spike listened to every note you had hummed. Both of you laid in silence, the only sounds coming from the Bebop and your soft breathing.


	2. The Day You Officially Joined

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spike wakes up, and you need to prove you're a good asset.

You woke up with a sudden jolt. Miss Faye was sitting on the couch across from you, smirking at your surprised expression. You rubbed your eyes, bones cracking as you stood up. Mister Spike, who you had hoped had gone to his room, was sitting on the other end of the couch you had slept on. He was reading a magazine, one leg crossed over the other with an indifferent expression on his face. You sighed, looking to Miss Faye. “Didn’t expect to sleep so long, sorry. Have we landed somewhere yet?”

Miss Faye shook her head, getting up to grab your arm. “Not yet. But Jet told me he wanted you to try and get the next bounty, something about making sure you got skills or whatever. And he doesn’t want Spike going ‘cause he just got shot.”

You ran a hand through your hair, letting out a sigh. “I don’t think I have a choice in this, do I? Alright, fine. Who’s the lucky person?” You held onto Miss Faye’s arm. It was almost surprising how much she took a liking to you. You couldn’t remember the last time you had a friend like her. Were you and Miss Faye even friends? You thought so, but you weren’t exactly sure.

“New girl gets to go after a bounty while I have to stay here?” Mister Spike spoke up, staring at Miss Faye with a look of distaste. “Come on, how can we even trust her not to get the bounty and leave?”

Miss Faye bit her lip, but you responded before she had the chance to. “I don't believe we've properly met, sir. I am Doctor L/n, and I can assure you, I’ll personally shoot myself if I do something like that. I don’t really have an interest in taking someone’s livelihood for my own personal gain. Besides, if I wanted to do something like that, I wouldn’t do it to bounty hunters. Seems like it would be a pain, don’t you think?” You looked to Mister Spike, hands clasped in front of you. “If you do not feel comfortable with me doing this, I’m sure Mister Jet wouldn’t mind tagging along with me to make sure the job gets done.”

Miss Faye looked at you, an eyebrow raised. Mister Spike had a blank expression as he mulled over your words. It took a minute for him to respond, “Fine. Bring back a souvenir, would ya?”

“Sure. And when I get back, I need to check your vitals. And I would like to do a mental evaluation to make sure there aren’t any other problems that may have been caused by your injury.” You gave Mister Spike a smile, before leading Miss Faye back to her room. She snapped out of whatever daze she was in and went to get you some clothes. You sat on her bed and watched as she put an outfit together for you.

“So the guy you’re going after is called Giraffe. I was thinking you cou-”

“I already have an idea, don’t worry, Faye. You don’t have to worry about me. How much is this guy worth?” You picked up a pair of black slacks and a white dress shirt Miss Faye had thrown onto a bed. That was more your style. Miss Faye watched you as you slipped out of your clothes.

“I think he’s about three million woolongs. And I’m not worried about you! I just wanna get the bounty, ya’know?” 

You chuckled quietly. As you slipped the shirt on, you heard someone knock at the door. You went to open it, fumbling with the shirt buttons.

“Hey, y/n. I’m guessing Faye gave you the rundown about what’s going on?” Jets stood in the doorway, arms crossed over his chest. You nodded. “Good. I’ll be goin’ with you to make sure you don’t pull a double-cross.”

“Seriously, Jet? Let the woman live, would ya? Spike’s more likely to pull something like that than she is.” Miss Faye mimicked Mister Jet’s posture, glaring at him pointedly. You stayed out of it and silently slipped your shoes on and checked your bag.

“Betrayal may come easily to women, but men live by iron-clad codes of honor.”

“You really believe that?”

You looked to Mister Jet, noticing the flash of hopelessness crossing his face. “I’m trying to, real hard.”

Miss Faye rolled her eyes, looking to you. You were staring at the contents of your bag, trying to figure out what you would need. You looked up once you noticed it had gone quiet. “Huh? Oh, I think Mister Jet may be right, in a way. Back on Earth before technology had even existed, men were bound by their honor and followed the unspoken codes of it. It isn’t very true now, but some men still choose to live by the philosophy. Most men who do tend to be police officers, but that’s just something I’ve noticed. And I don’t mind him coming with, it’s perfectly reasonable that he wants to make sure that I can be trusted. It’s not a big deal, Faye. Is there a reason you think it may be?” You spoke kindly, making sure to be careful of the tone you used. The last thing you needed was to upset Miss Faye.

“I- No, but… It’s not fair the way he treats us women! Like he’s better than all of us, well it’s not true!” Miss Faye hardened her glare at Mister Jet. You sighed, grabbing her shoulder gently. She tensed and looked to you.

“Faye, I’m sure he doesn’t think that. It may be unfair, but he has his reasons for acting that way. You know you aren’t below him, you aren’t inferior in any way. Anyways, why don’t you make me a list of the foods you like? I have a feeling that you don’t have the most food right now, no?” You looked to Jet, whom of which nodded. “So why don’t you do that? I’m sure we can spare an extra day here, so if we get that bounty, I’ll treat you to dinner and it can be a girls night out. Sound good?”

Miss Faye smiled a bit at your idea. She hadn’t had a proper friend in almost three years, so the suggestion of a girls night made her giddy. “Alright. You better get that bounty, or I’m going to be pissed.” 

You grinned, letting go of her shoulder. “Will do, Miss. Make sure Mister Spike doesn’t do anything that will exert himself while I’m out.”

Miss Faye nodded, waving to you as you walked out with Mister Jet. Mister Spike was waiting by the door. “I’ve never seen her calm down so fast. How’d you do it? Usually I can’t get her to shut up.”

“I dunno,” You glanced to Mister Spike, taking note that he slouched when he walked. “I thought she could use a friend, and I don’t mind being one for her. She seems very troubled about something, though.. Whatever. Do you know where Giraffe is, Mister Jet? I need to know how much he weighs.”

Mister Spike snorted. “What, do you plan on seducing him?”

“If the situation is appropriate, then yes. But that’s not what I need his weight for. If he happens to get too hostile or risky, I want have a sedative prepared.” You checked your bag one more time. You could hear something resembling a chuckle come from Mister Spike. You looked up at him, noticing he had a cigarette in his mouth. You frowned and set your bag on the floor before swiping the cancer stick straight from his lips. “No smoking until you’re fully healed, sir.”

“What?! You can't just take a cigarette from a guy’s mouth like that!” Mister Spike lunged toward you for the cigarette. You ducked under him, moving to his left.

“I can, and I just did. Now you can either stop whining or you can go complain to Miss Faye. I’m sure Mister Jet would rather get this bounty as soon as possible, because I sure do.”

“She’s right, Spike. Go get some sleep.” Mister Jet grabbed Mister Spike’s shoulder. You slipped the cigarette into you bag so you could throw it away later. “Y/n, I’ll meet you in the hanger.”

“Alright.” You waved as you walked off. Both men stared at you, Spike’s gaze lingering a bit longer than Jet’s. He had a name on the tip of his tongue that made his right eye ache. He had the strangest urge to punch you only to kiss where it hurt after. He shook his head. You and him barely knew each other, and he still had  _ her  _ to think about.

"She's well-mannered." Jet's voice broke Spike's train of thought.

"Yeah, I noticed. Faye mentioned that she called her 'Miss Valentine.' Can't believe she got away with it, but Faye seems to like her."

Jet shook his head, clapping Spike's back. "You know women. They either stick to each other like glue or they try to tear each other's throats out. Y/n just seems to be the kind of woman who puts herself down to avoid something like that, though."

Spike looked to his friend. So he wasn't the only one who had a feeling about the woman. "Tell me what you find out about her. I feel like she's hiding something, but I don't know what."

"You've barely talked to her, how do you know if she has something to hide?" Jet started to walk off. You had been right, he just wanted to get this bounty already. "But I'll tell ya if I find anything."

Spike didn't respond, only watching silently as Jet walked off to the hanger. Why did you remind him so much of her?

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


You took the glasses from Mister Jet once you both sat down. He had explained how to use them and what they did, but you were still in awe over the information appearing before your eyes once your spotted Giraffe. It amazed you how something like that could work.

"Glasses work. It's still a few minutes until he's estimated to arrive, though." You handed the glasses back to Mister Jet. He nodded, closed his eyes and leaned his head back. The sound of blues came from the stage near the front, making you feel a sense of bittersweetness. It was a pleasant song, not what you usually listened to. "Do you like jazz, Mister Jet?"

"Oh yeah. I was a blues baby ever since the doctor that delivered me slapped my rear." Mister Jet smiled. So music was a good topic for him.

"Hipster baby, I like it," You chuckled. You stopped once you noticed the person paying for your meal had come into sight. "Hold that thought for a moment, sir."

You got up, grabbing one thing from your bag as you slinked through the crowd of people to get to Giraffe. He seemed distracted, good. You managed to squeeze past a big, blond man, reaching out to touch Giraffe's arm. "Pardon me, sir. You look tense, is everything alright?"

Giraffe turned his head to you. If it weren't for the many people around, you wouldn't have had an excuse to be so close to him. But luck was on your side. "The hell do you want?"

"Money, if I'm being honest with you, Mister Giraffe." You moved as soon as the words spilled from your lips. You struck down on Giraffe's nose, gaze catching his watery eyes before you stuck the needle of a syringe into his side gently. Once the sedative was emptied into him, you pulled the needle from his side, an apologetic look on your face. "Sorry if that was painful. I'll be sure to patch you up before turning you in."

Giraffe looked furious, but the expression melted from his face once the sedative started to kick in. You braced yourself for impact as he fell forward, all his weight on your shoulders. You dragged him to Mister Jet, trying not to bump into people while you did.

"I got him, sir."

"What?! That was quick, how'd you do that so fast?" Mister Jet stood up, already getting Giraffe.

"I'll tell you when we get back to the Bebop. I want to patch him up first, see if he has anything worth knowing. I hope you don't mind?"

"Shit, after getting us a bounty that quick, yeah. Just don't take too long once we get there."

"Yes, Mister Jet." You walked behind Mister Jet, hand resting on your bag as you walked. One of your old friends, Julia, had given it to you. You missed her dearly, but you knew she was gone. Died after she opened the hatch of her shuttle in space. She had been a frozen body by the time someone found her. You don't know why she did it, you wished you could have at least been there to stop her. Terrible fate grabbed hold of the best people, you learned that later in your life. But whether you were determined to make the best of rigged game or decided to be as miserable as the end of your life wouldn't change the fact you were going to die one way or another. You weren't sure which you were going to do.

You let out a soft sigh. It had only been about a year, you were allowed to still be upset. But you couldn’t help but feel guilty for missing her, if you had only tried to talk to her more, she probably wouldn’t have died. Regret was an emotion only useful for fueling negative emotions. The best thing you could do was to move on and try to live the life Julia would have wanted you to live. 

“You know, we don’t know anything about you, y/n. Kinda suspicious when you think about it.” Mister Jet looked to you. You felt a tinge of worry tug at the back of your mind.

“It’s only been a day, sir. If you would like to know something about me, you’re free to ask! I hope I don’t seem suspicious, it would be hard to perform my duties as a doctor if none of you were trusting of me!” You smiled to Mister Jet. “I don’t have a very interesting life, anyways.”

Mister Jet raised a brow. “I’ve never known a doctor who hasn’t had an interesting life. What do you do for fun?”

“I like to read. I could go through an entire library in a day if I had the time. I also walk a lot, though that’s not really something fun… Oh, I like playing blackjack! I’m really good at gambling with dice, too. I used to like barhopping, but I stopped after-” You cut yourself off. You had stopped barhopping after Julia had died. You weren’t ready to pull that bandage off just yet.

“So that’s what you like doing, huh? Not too bad, I guess. So why’d you become a doctor in the first place?”

You had to think for a moment. Why did you become a doctor?

“I’m not really sure, if I’m being honest. I had a good life, nothing made me feel like I needed to help the people around me. I always wanted to be a veterinarian, but I decided to become a doctor after I realized how much more money I’d be making. I started out as a nurse, and a few years later, I’m able to perform heart surgery if I need to. I studied psychology alongside everything else when I was becoming a doctor, so I’m also able to be a therapist alongside a regular doctor. Anyways, the gist of it is that I became a doctor for the money.” You looked to Mister Jet, watching him nod in understanding. 

"Look, we’re here. Let’s hurry up and question him so we can get our money.”

You looked ahead as you walked back onto the Bebop. Miss Faye was the first to greet you, her expression going from shock to awe to excitement. “Oh my god, you actually got him?! That was fast, y/n, you gotta tell me how you did it.”

“Ah, it wasn’t too hard. I don’t look very intimidating, so it’s just a matter of manipulating my facial expressions and body language so that I seem even less intimidating. With Giraffe, he was distracted, so I didn’t have to do much. It’s just a matter of being quick, I guess?” You rubbed the back of your neck. You didn’t think there was much to be excited about, this was usually how your bounty hunting went. "I need to ask him a few questions when he wakes up, then we’ll be turning him in for the money. You still up for going out tomorrow?"

“Totally. I’m looking forward to seeing you drunk, you’re so uptight.” Miss Faye chuckled, patting Spike’s shoulder as she went back to her room. She knew something was up with him, but she didn’t question it. You wrinkled your nose at the thought of getting drunk.

“I’m not uptight!”

Miss Faye let out a laugh, waving her hand dismissively as she walked off. “Sure you aren’t, hon.”

You sighed, looking to Mister Spike. “How are you feeling, sir?”

He shrugged, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Just sore. And I’ve been really bored around here, nothing to do. How did it go?”

“The bounty? It went well, but I would like to question Giraffe before we hand him in. If he has any interesting information, you might just have something to do.” You smiled slightly. You felt like a kid with a crush. You had no reason to have any sort of romantic feelings for Mister Spike besides him being attractive, and plenty of people are attractive. You had more reason to like Miss Faye than Mister Spike, but you couldn’t help but think about how his hands would feel around your waist.  _ 'Be professional! I can find this man attractive, but do not act on it. He probably doesn't see me the same way.' _

“Doc? Did you hear me?” Mister Spike waved his hand in front of your face. You felt your face turn red as you were brought back to reality.

“Huh? Sorry, I spaced out, still getting used to everything. What did you say, sir?”

You could have sworn that Mister Spike’s cheeks turned a bit pink when you called him “sir.” Maybe it was your mind being hopeful. “Did you bring me back a souvenir? And you don’t have to call me sir, I’m not your higher up or anything.”

“You technically are, sir. And sorry, I forgot. I’ll get you something after we get the money, promise. But right now, I want to wake Giraffe up and see if he has any information for us. I have a feeling there’s something else going on, he wouldn’t have been at a crowded bar and risked getting caught unless there was something he needed to take care of. Please excuse me for being so rushed.” You bowed your head respectively to MisterSpike before heading to the couches. Miser Jet had bound Giraffe’s hands and feet, making him lay on his side on the couch so it would be harder to struggle.

“He’s all yours, y/n. Don’t hurt him too bad,” Jet said. You nodded and leaned down in front of Giraffe. He was awake, the sedative not lasting long. You expected that, fast-acting sedatives wore off fairly quick. You both stared at each other, though his eyes were filled with more emotion than yours. You could see he was trying to hide the fear he felt behind anger and intimidation, hoping the false confidence would be enough to spark some hope that could get him out of his situation. You sat on the floor, your face in front of his. His eyes darted away from your own. He was starting to get frustrated.

“What the fuck are ya lookin’ at, tramp?” Giraffe finally snapped. You didn’t answer, instead leaning forward and grabbing his cheeks with your uninjured hand. You turned his face, noticing his eyes stayed on you. The sedation hadn’t affected his brain in any harmful way, that was good. You let go of him before finally speaking.

“Your eyes. I wanted to make sure you had no brain damage, I wouldn’t want you to suffer any more than you have to. Now, I feel like you were at the bar to do something. Were you planning on killing someone, buying or selling drugs? What were you doing in a crowded bar, knowing that you’d get caught? If you could help me make sense of this, I’d really appreciate it. I might even be able to convince the police to shorten your sentence, but only if you tell me.”

Giraffe contemplated your words for a moment before giving you an answer. “Fine. Ain’t like I got anything better to do when I’m caught.”

  
  


You nodded, thumb rubbing the wrist of your injured hand. Giraffe suched a breath from in between his teeth as he explained everything to you. Mister Spike and Mister Jet eventually stepped in to get more information from him. You waited in the cooking area, cleaning off the burners and taking stock of all the food. There were notes pinned onto the fridge by magnets. There were some invoices, some reminders to Miss Faye to pay Mister Jet back for all the food she ate, and some notes to you from everyone to you about the food they wanted. You grabbed them off the fridge and stuffed them in your pocket, getting back to your cleaning. If you were going to be saying with these people, you wanted it to be clean for everyone, including yourself. 

“What are you doing?”

You looked up from the spot on the floor that had a gross stain that looked like it was going to grow a face. Mister Spike was leaning against the wall, staring down at you. You shrugged, “I thought I could help out by cleaning. And it passed the time while you and Mister Jet talked to Giraffe. Have you gotten the money, or are you waiting on me?” You stood up, tossing the paper towel you had been using to clean the spot on the floor.

“We got the money. Jet took a cut of it for fuel, we’re going to be looking for the guys Giraffe was telling us about.” Spike dug into his coat pocket and pulled out a stack of woolongs. He held it out to you. “Jet says you’re doing shopping, right? Pick up some beef while you’re out, would you?”

You nodded and took the cash from him. “Are you two gonna be gone for long?”

Mister Spike shrugged, turning on his heel. “Dunno. If we take more than a day, start getting concerned.”

“I’m already concerned about you pushing yourself too much. Please don’t purposely put yourself in danger, you could get dangerously hurt if you were to lose more blood.” You stared at the back of Mister Spike’s head, your hand gripping the money tightly. It was normal to be concerned about a patient going into a dangerous situation, but you felt rather stupid saying it to Mister Spike. 

“As if I’d die from losing some blood. I’ll be fine, Doc. Don’t forget my beef,” Spike stuffed his hand in his pockets and walked off. You sighed and looked down at the money in your hands. You should probably see if there are any grocery stores or markets around.

  
  


* * *

You sighed, kicking your shoes off once you got back onto the Bebop. Your arms were full of groceries, some of the bags filled entirely with food for one of the crew members. You had separated the food everyone wanted into their own bags, hoping to avoid bickering. “Faye? Are you around, I could use some help!”

Ein showed up first, circling around your feet. You smiled down at him. Ein was an odd dog, but he was sweet and cute. “Hey, y/n! Did you get what I asked for?” Miss Faye had finally come out of her room.

“Yup. I also got some fresh produce and meat, and I even picked up some dumplings for dinner. Are Mister Spike and Mister Jet back, yet?” You handed her a few bags, glad to get circulation back to your arm. You made your way to the kitchen. You were a bit surprised it had stayed clean while you were out. “Because I got them some gun cleaner and some new tools. I noticed the ones they had were getting rusty, but I wasn’t sure if I was overstepping by doing it…”

“They’re napping in their rooms. I can put this all away, you should go wake them up. I don’t want to deal with Spike’s cranky ass.” Miss Faye smirked at you. You rolled your eyes and grinned. You two were so close, Miss Faye must have been desperate for a friend. Not that you minded, it was nice. 

“Alright. The bag with your food should be marked. I found some beer that you might like, so that's there, too." You waved to Miss Faye as if you were already dismissing her thanks. She nodded, almost immediately going through the bag. You smiled to yourself before going off to wake up the two men. Ein trailed after you. "Hey buddy! I got you some food, too. Maybe Miss Faye won't eat it this time, yeah?"

Ein wagged his tail, hopping up onto your legs. You smiled and picked him up, scratching behind his ears as you walked to the door of Mister Jet's door. You knocked on it gently.

"Mister Jet? I'm back, Miss Faye wanted me to wake you up," You called from your side of the door. Ein's butt wiggled as his stumpy tail continued to wag. He let out a small yip once Mister Jet's door opened.

"Nice to see you, y/n. Did you pick up stuff to make dinner?" Mister Jet rubbed his eyes, stretching his arms out

“Yes, sir. It’s all ready when you want to eat, so you don’t have to worry about cooking. I also bought some new tools, I noticed some of yours were getting rusty. I hope I didn’t overstep, because I also noticed that when Mister Spike started his craft, there was a low hum that meant the filters within the engine were going out. I hope you don’t mind.” You set Ein on the floor, watching as he trotted into Mister Jet’s room. ‘ _ What an odd dog,’  _ You thought to yourself.

“Damn, really? You didn’t overstep at all, y/n. I really appreciate it. I’ll go ahead and put the stuff up, go ahead and relax. You’ve earned it.” Mister Jet smiled to you. You returned the expression. He hadn’t smiled very much while you’ve been around. You must have been rubbing off on him. 

“Thank you, sir. I’m going to talk with Mister Spike, I’m hoping to do a mental health evaluation on him. I would like to do one with you sometime in the future, however. So let me know when you are ready for me to do something like that, alright?”

Mister Jet nodded, heading off to the cooking area. You watched him for a moment before calling Ein and shutting his door. You and Ein made your way down the hall. It was quiet on the ship, Miss Faye and Mister Jet’s chatter softened by distance. You took a breath in before knocking on the door. Mister Spike could be heard groaning in annoyance from behind the door.

“Mister Spike, it’s y/n. I was hoping you and I could talk, if that’s okay?”

Mister Spike’s door opened with a slight  _ whoosh.  _ Your eyes were level with his chest, which was bare. It was not what you were expecting at all. You looked up at him, trying not to laugh at his almost comically messy hair. He had most likely woken up a minute or so prior.

“What?” Mister Spike spoke up, his voice groggy. 

“I am hoping to do a mental health evaluation on you. If you don’t feel up to it right now, understand.” You held Mister Spike’s gaze. He seemed skeptical, so you continued, “If you don’t feel comfortable with talking to someone you barely know, I’ll tell you about myself for every thing you tell me. Does that sound fair, sir?”

Mister Spike thought for a moment. You shifted the weight on your feet. Ein was circling around them again. He was such an odd dog. “Fine,” Mister Spike finally spoke up. “Come on in, and hurry up so that mutt doesn’t follow.”

You nodded quickly, heading inside Mister Spike’s room. Mister Spike shut the door behind you, gesturing for you to sit on his bed. It wasn’t the most professional setting, but it was better than the floor. You moved his comforter over before sitting down, hands folded in your lap as you waited for him to say something. He stood with his back against the door, arms crossed over his chest. 

“What do you want me to say?” Mister Spike sighed. You shrugged.

“Wherever you want to start, really. What are some things I should know about you, have you experienced any traumatic events, is there anything you  _ need  _ to talk about? Anything you’re currently comfortable sharing.” You looked at him with an encouraging expression, “How about we start with your name and age?”

Mister Spike sighed, rolling his eyes. “My name is Spike Spiegel, I’m twenty-seven years old. I loved a woman once and she ran off, so I haven’t loved anyone else romantically since.”

You had to force yourself to listen to what he was saying. Julia had mentioned a Spiegel once, but there was no way this was the same guy. If he was, what was his connection to Julia? Did he know she died? Were they lovers or just friends? And who was the woman that left Spike? Could it have been Julia?

“That sounds like something very painful. I am sorry you have to deal with something like that, but have you been able to move on at least a little bit since then?” Your voice was gentler. If he knew Julia, did he have anything to do with her death?

“Betrayal is hard to move on from, don’t you think? And that woman, she was amazing. I met her while playing pool. I loved her, but she left me in a cemetery without a word as to why. I don’t even think I love Julia anymore. I just want closure.”

If you hadn’t been sitting, your knees might have buckled under you. So he knew Julia, he had  _ loved _ Julia. You stood up suddenly, hands balled into fists at your sides. Your voice was tight with stress, anger, and sorrow when you spoke. “You of all people have no right to say she betrayed you.”

Spike’s jaw tightened, glaring at you. “And how would you know that,  _ y/n _ ?” He spat his words at you. You had the urge to slap him for thinking so lowly of your friend.

“Because I was her best friend! I was the first person she talked to when she arrived, I was the first to know she died! Don’t you dare tell me I’m wrong for saying she didn’t betray you, because I know why she did it. She loved you so much, she couldn’t kill you. So she went into hiding, making sure you wouldn’t be able to follow so it wouldn’t put the both of you in danger  _ again _ . That’s how I know, _sir_ _ . _ ” You hadn’t gotten this mad in a while. You weren’t even mad at Spike, you were mad that Julia had to leave you behind. You were mad that you had to help clean up the mess she hadn’t meant to leave behind. 

Spike stared at you, his expression full of shock. “You knew Julia?”

“Yeah… Yeah, she lived with me for a while.. I’m sorry, Spike, but she- She died. It’s been a year now. She had stopped loving you before she died, though, but she had always felt guilty. I guess the guilt got to her before I could. I’m really sorry Spike.” You felt tired all of a sudden. You never usually got angry because it always made you feel exhausted after. 

"She's dead," Spike echoed back what you had said. You nodded. He would probably need time to process it. "She left to protect me. God, I should have fucking guessed. Was she at least given a proper burial?"

You nodded once more. "I made sure of it. Why don't you sit down, Spike? I would like to hear more about your relationship with Julia, if that's alright."

Spike nodded, sitting where you had sat. You were the one standing this time. “Anyone Julia could trust, I can trust. You owe me a drink after this.”

You chuckled, shaking your head. “Sure thing, sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, okay. The response to the first chapter was very encouraging! I hope that I can continue to make people happy with this fic. However, please don't expect a post schedule. I have a few chapters set up already, but I am a v e r y slow writer. I'm also in school, so that may get in the way of my writing. I am sorry for not being able to post more regularly, but I will try my best to make the chapters ling and enjoyable!  
Anyways, how do you guys feel about Reader? I am trying to make her over-polite, but I would like to hear your opinions about what I could improve and/or add!  
(edit on november 20, 2019 23:33- i forgot the chapter title. so i put in the title. im sorry, ill post when im not tired next time ú_ù)


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